More than 300 participants     1     were from international organizations, research institutes, universities and enterprises came together at the 6th International Agricultural Research Conference in Beijing on December 15,2022 to exchange ideas on how to make a     2     (contribute) to global food security, calling for more international cooperation in agriculture.

Themed “strengthening agricultural science and technology cooperation to jointly promote global food security,” the conference was hosted by the Center for International Agricultural Research (CIAR) and the Department of International Cooperation of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS),     3     (adopt) the form of virtual lectures and online broadcast.

Wu Kongming, president of CAAS, said that CAAS remains committed to providing Chinese     4     (solution) and wisdom to help address global challenges such as food security, poverty reduction and green development, and to do so through multilateral and bilateral international cooperation mechanisms.

According to Carlos Watson, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Representative in China, the conference offered     5     great and timely opportunity to facilitate(使便利)constructive discussion on international joint actions concerning global agricultural development and food security,     6     the face of challenges posed by the pandemic and climate change.

“Given China’s     7     (success) experience in the eradication(消除)of extreme poverty, digital innovations, and agricultural and rural development, China is     8     (unique) positioned to share its innovation experience, innovative technologies, and best practices with the rest of the world,” he said.

During the conference, experts discussed the current situation and future prospects of international cooperation in agricultural science and technology. They also discussed the policy environment, market environment, investment model and service demand for overseas agricultural investment, as well as strategies and measures     9     (ensure) global food security.

The International Agricultural Research Conference     10     (hold) for six consecutive(连续的)years since 2017.

Seeing these “gardens” is like looking at a universe in a plant pot. The miniature (微型的) branches spread and twist,       1       (demonstrate) the beauty of nature, so as to allow viewers to stop and reflect on the circle of life. The potted landscape of penjing.     2       (be) a representative of top-ranking garden art ever since its existence.

    3     (expected), the Suzhou-style penjing cultivation technique was listed as a national-level intangible cultural heritage (非物质文化遗产) in 2011.     4     penjing, Suzhou gardens wouldn’t be as charming as they are today. Once the construction of a garden is completed, its buildings are set, but planting can grow and change, which makes gardens     5     (live).

The history of penjing     6       (date) back to the Tang Dynasty when the great poet Bai Juyi used some stones     7       (create) miniature landscapes in pots. And the Ming Dynasty marked a boom in the economy of Suzhou, the very period       8     turned the city into a major cultural center. Because of that long history, Suzhou-style penjing is often seen as       9     fundamental school of Chinese planting art.

Penjing works are beautiful, but people think that they were owned by the rich. However, only when they are enjoyed by general     10       (consume) can they benefit from being part of people's wider modern artistic taste.

A skywell, or “tian jing” in Chinese, is a typical feature of a traditional home in Southern and Eastern China. They are commonly seen in homes     1     (date) to the Ming and Qing dynasties, which     2     (design) to house different generations of relatives. Despite their varied sizes and designs, these skywells are typically square and located in     3     heart of the house. They serve to allow in light, enhance airflow, and harvest rainwater.

Since decades ago, the government     4     (advocate) green buildings, promoting environmentally-friendly practice. The increased interest towards traditional Chinese architecture is leading to the restoration of historic buildings with skywells     5     modern use. Architects are also looking towards the principles behind skywells while designing new buildings     6     (save) energy. The Dongguan TBA Tower in Guangdong Province, for example, brings natural airflows into every floor with internal “windpipes”    7     function in a similar way to skywells. The aim is to keep the building's temperature     8     (comfort) in all seasons, using only natural airflow.

The fact that skywells still exist today shows     9     clever ancient builders were in using nature's elements to create energy-sufficient and sustainable living spaces. These timeless architectural     10     (wonder) continue to inspire architects in their efforts to find green solutions for cooling homes and buildings.

Chinese Loong is the fifth animal of the 12-year Chinese zodiac cycle,     1    (consider) to be mythical and symbolic of fortune. Recently, sales of things with dragon elements have witnessed explosive growth on e-commerce platforms.

Data from an e-commerce platform show that searches     2     dragon-related goods via its online marketplace have reached 23 million.    3     is said that since January, goods with dragon-themed elements, such as daily necessities, alcohol and gold jewelry,     4    (prefer) by consumers.The purchasing excitement is expected to     5    (huge) boost consumer confidence and improve the recovery of consumption．

Purchases by the post-1990s and post-2000s generations accounted for nearly 55%, while consumers in Guangdong province, Beijing, Jiangsu province in that order,     6    (be) the top three spenders on dragon-featured items.Because the dragon is an important symbol of Chinese traditional culture     7     good luck, Chinese consumers are expressing their hopes for     8     better life in the new year.

“Brands should capitalize on traditional Chinese culture to launch more innovative     9    (product),” a research fellow said,     10    (stress) that Spring Festival is the traditional festival Chinese people attach the most importance to, and it’s also a peak season for consumption.

Did you ever imagine that one day we could enjoy the benefits of Traditional Chinese Medicine in a cup of coffee?

Traditional Chinese Medicine, or TCM, is    1    approach used to help people re-balance their health and mind. A typical way of making a TCM formula (配方) is to get a prescription from a    2    (license) doctor, shop for all the medicinal materials, and then brew(煎) them with water in a pot. These materials    3    (say) to have a restorative effect by re-balancing one’s natural energy, or Qi,     4    runs through series of invisible meridians (经脉) throughout the body.

But if you ask younger generations of Chinese, few visit TCM shops nowadays, let alone brew these time-tested remedies for    5    (they). However, social media has recently seen a type of coffee    6    (feature) goji berry juice get popular.

The concept of combining TCM herbs    7    popular drinks could make young people access TCM more easily. The key of TCM is    8    (prevent). By trying such drinks, young people can take more care of their health, and nip sicknesses in the bud. Most people, attracted in such a cafe by the”new TCM drinks“ at first, would also be offered other TCM products like dried herbs and teas, after which they stay    9    (learn) more about TCM.

As Traditional Chinese Medicine becomes more    10    (access) to young people, many are integrating these ancient drinks into their daily wellness routines.

The recent opening of a new exhibition building at the Sanxingdui Museum, in Guanghan, in Sichuan province, made the place     1     instant tourist hot spot. The bronze heads, golden masks, holy trees and various statues reveal the    2     (mystery) faces of a culture dating back more than 3,000 years.

For those who cannot make it to Guanghan,     3     the extensive site of Sanxingdui is located, an immersive exhibition     4    (equip) with digital technology, titled Hello Sanxingdui,     5     (offer) an alternative means to be awed by the magnificence of this Bronze Age culture. It is running at the Longfu Art Museum in Beijing until Feb 29.

It provides a time-travel experience for both an educational and artistic appeal. The journey begins     6     a brief timeline of texts, photos and videos, showing how Sanxingdui was first discovered in the 1920s, when objects were found by farmers digging an irrigation ditch (灌溉沟渠); and it highlights the important moments in the past century’s continued archaeological efforts, to reveal the myths surrounding Sanxingdui and the secrets yet     7     (uncover).

On show     8     life-size reproductions of dozens of astonishing artifacts, supervised by Sanxingdui Museum, such as 2.6-meter bronze statues, 3.8-meter-wide bronze masks and “the holy tree” standing nearly 4 meters.

Images of these objects found at Sanxingdui and their     9     (pattern) have been digitalized, animated and projected on screens, leading the audience into the ancient kingdom of Shu, a     10     (civilize) that thrived for centuries in the southwest during the Zhou Dynasty, and disappeared suddenly, leaving many myths and legends.

Wing Chun is a southern Chinese kung fu style descends from Shaolin Kung Fu. It has the distinction of having been founded by two women, Ng Mui and Yim Wing-chun.

The Wing Chun style is known for placing     1     (emphasize) on technique rather than strength. This style also calls for practitioners to stay relaxed while     2    (fight), allowing them to achieve a kind of softness or flexibility. This relaxed flexibility gives Wing Chun fighter     3     special kind of strength that allows them to bend, not break, just like bamboo.   

Legend has it that Wing Chun founder Ng Mui was living at Shaolin Temple     4     it was attacked and destroyed by Qing dynasty forcers. Surviving the attack, she escaped     5     the border area between Yunnan and Sichuan. There she met a young woman     6     (name)Yim Wing-chun, who     7     (final) became one of her top students. She taught Yim an improved version of Shaolin Kung Fu, known as Wing Chun now. This new martial art     8     (spread) and grown into different branches over the past two hundred years.

Ip Man, featured in the eponymous (同名的) hit films,     9    (be) a notable practitioner of Wing Chun style martial arts. He also taught the Wing Chun style to his student, Bruce Lee, who would go on to act in the beloved Hong Kong kung fu movies     10     helped make Chinese martial arts famous around the world.

The approaching of a new year is always exciting. The Little New Year,     1    is also called the Minor New Year’s Day, usually falls roughly a week before     2     Lunar New Year. In 2023, it will fall on Jan. 14th and 15th. The Chinese Little New Year is not a    3    (fix) festival as it varies with local     4     (custom).

Worshiping Kitchen God is the most important activity in    5     (celebrate) of the Chinese Little New Year. According to the folklore, the Kitchen God would report    6     the Jade Emperor on the good and evil deeds of every family on the 23rd of the 12th lunar month for the Emperor to reward or punish. While     7    (offer) sacrifice to the Kitchen God, people place candy, water, beans and hay on the table in front of the Kitchen God image.

Other activities during the festival     8    (main) include sweeping dust and making Chinese paper cuts for window decoration. Chinese Little New Year also means that Chinese people begin to prepare special purchases for the Spring Festival and are ready     9    (spend) a clean Spring Festival. Above all, it suggests a new year with a new image and     10    (express) the good wishes of Chinese people to ring out the Old Year and ring in the New Year.

Jingxi Taiping Drum is a traditional form of dancing. With its display of profound cultural elements, it     1     (include) in the first batch (批次) of China’s national intangible cultural heritage (非物质文化遗产) items in 2006.

The     2     (early) historical references of this art date back to the Spring and Autumn Period. At the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, it started to gain     3     (popular) in and around the capital, and then it was introduced to Mentougou District of Beijing.

In ancient times, the drums were played     4     New Year’s Eve at the imperial palace to bring peace. As a result, the performance also became known as the “New Year Drum” by Beijingers. This type of drum dance is commonly seen     5     (perform) during the last and first month of the lunar year in many local festive activities, thus expressing     6     (people) hope of a peaceful and prosperous year to come.

During a given performance, drummers perform various dance moves while     7     (hold) the drum in their left hands and a mallet in their right hands. Traditional Chinese aesthetic (美学的) concepts are reflected in the drum playing, all of     8     represent distinctive local features.

In the past decades, efforts     9     (make) by Mentougou District to preserve this signature folk dance culture. Today, the time-honored folk art of the Jingxi Taiping Drum is being taken up by the young people     10     is presenting its lively artistic charm (魅力) on a global stage.

The Forbidden City, also     1    (refer) to as the Palace Museum in the modern days, is located in the heart of Beijing. It is an ancient     2    (architecture) complex with a history of over 600 years.

The aerial view of the Forbidden City shows it is a symmetrical layout. The three main halls-the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Hall of Central Harmony and the Hall of Preserving Harmony comprise the Forbidden City’s central line,     3     is flanked (两侧有) by more than 70 palaces with over 9, 000 rooms. The buildings are all covered with golden roofs with red columns and high walls beneath,     4    (symbolize) the noble status of the royal family. In addition to     5    (it) magnificent appearance, the Palace Museum also houses over one million pieces of cultural relics and treasures.

In recent years, the Forbidden City has become     6     Internet celebrity, launching thousands of cultural and artistic products. These products are well enjoyed by     7    (consumer), combining the traditional imperial elements with modern technology. Up to now, a “Digital Forbidden City”     8    (create). The development of the Internet and AR technology has allowed people to visit the palace in an immersive way and to observe the panorama and details of the imperial treasures.

As a new day begins, the ancient Forbidden City continues to welcome visitors at home and abroad. Be it onsite or online, your visit     9     the Forbidden City may help you travel through time and space and    10    (true) appreciate the time-honored Chinese culture.